John l



.J. L. AXEN DESK 2 Sheets-Shem Filed Dec 6, 1922 .ln WE??? liven/4m JEi-uv L f! XEN 1,516,906 1924 J. L. AXEN 1 DESK Filed Dec. 6, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 RH/v L. flxE/y -b Patented Nov. 25, 1924.

UNITED STATES JOHN L. AXEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DESK.

Application filed December 6, 1922. Serial No. 605,161.

[ '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN L. AXEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Desks, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements .in desks.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a typewriter desk in which all of the space it occupies is usefully available. A desk which is commodious, providing ample means for storing stationery and other supplies; which is not complicated in its structure and which may easily be operated to open and closed positions.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will readily appear from a consideration of the description when taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a plan view of the desk with the top raised and the desk open.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1 with the desk open.

Fig. 4 is a similar view with the desk closed.

In all the views the same reference characters are employed to designate corresponding parts.

The cabinet frame 5 comprises the four .corner posts 6-6 and 77 with a rear wall 8 and two side walls 99'. The cabinet is open at its top and front side.

A cover 10 is divided at 11 where it is hinged to another cover member 10 and a front flap 12 is hinged to the front edge of the cover member 10 at 13. The rear edge of the cover member 10 is hinged to the rear wall 8, at 14.

A floating shelf, table or platform 15 for supporting a typewriting machine, is arranged to occupy a horizontal position when the cover 10 is raised to a vertical position, as shown in Fig. 3, and to occupy a downwardly inclined position, as shown in Fig. 4, when the cover is in closed position. This is brought about by the manner in which the shelf is pivotally connected to the cover and to the cabinet frame.

A pair of bell crank levers 1616, one on each side, has its vertical member 1717 pivoted to the frame, at 1818 and the front end of its horizontal member 19 at 27, and the rear end of the link 26 is pivotally connected to the cover member 10 at 28. A pair of springs 2929, one at each side, is connected to an out-turned part 30 of the member 25 and to the rear wall of the cabinet frame, at 31. These springs tend to raise the shelf 15 and the weight imposed thereon by the typewriting machine.

A link 32 is pivoted at 27 to the links 26 and the link has a notch 33 near its free end which engages in pin 34, fixed to the frame, for the purpose of holding the cover in open position as shown in Fig. 3. When it is desirable to lower the shelf 15 and the cover the free end of lever 32 is raised until the notch clears the pin 34. This releases the cover, whereupon it may be moved to the position shown in Fig. 4.

A cabinet 35, to contain articles useful to the operator of the typewriter, has a cover 36 hinged at 37 to close a receptacle 38. The front edge of the cabinet 35 is hinged to the shelf 15, at 39, to permit the lower end of shelf 15 to be moved downwardly after the rear bottom edge 40 has encountered the fixed shelf 41. The shelf 41 may serve as a comfortable rest for the operators feet.

A spring catch 42 yieldingly engages one edge of the flap 12 to retain it in place when in position shown in Fig. 3.

Another cabinet 43 for containing stationery is secured to the inside surface of the cover member 10 and, when in position shown in Fig. 3, is readily accessible and, when in position shown in Fig. 4, the partitions thereof are in horizontal positions so that the sheets and envelopes will not fall therefrom. The two cabinets 35 and 43, when the shelf is raised, form apparently a single cabinet, and in this manner they cooperate with the shelf, the frame and the cover.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A desk comprising a hollow cabinet frame open at the top; a cover hinged to the rear Wall of the frame to close the top thereof; a floating shelf, below the cover; a pair of be1l-crank levers, one on each side of the shelf, the ends of the vertical members thereof pivoted to the frame and the remaining horizontal ends of said levers pivoted to the shelf near its front edge, When the shelf is in a horizontal position; another pair of bell-crank levers, one on each side of the shelf, each lever having a horizontal member pivoted to the shelf and a substantially vertical member pivoted thru a connecting link tothe cover, near Where it is hinged to the-frame, the latter'cranks having their vertic'es pivotally connected to the side Walls of the cabinet frame, and a pair of springs connected tothe vertical members, respectively, of the last mentioned cranks and to the rear Wall of the frame, thereby tending to raise the shelf;

2. A desk comprising a hollow cabinet frame open at the top a cover hinged tothe rear Wall of the frame to close the top thereof; a floating shelf, below the cover; a pair of bell-crank levers, one on each side of the shelf, having vertical members pivoted to the frame and having horizontal members, the ends of which are pivoted to the shelf near its front edge, When the shelf is in a horizontal position; another pair of bell-crank levers, one on each side of the shelf, each lever having a horizontal member pivoted to the shelf and a substantially vertical member pivoted to the cover, thru a connecting link near Where it t is hinged to the frame, the latter cranks having their vertices pivotally connected to the side Walls of the cabinet frame; a pair of springs connected to the vertical members, respectively, of the last mentioned cranks and to the rear Wall of the frame, thereby tending to raise the shelf, and a link to hold the cover raised, pivoted to the point where one of the springs is connected to a vertical member of a crank lever and having at its free end a latch member to engage a latch member fixed to a side wall of the frame to holdjthe cover" open.

scribe-my name.

JOHN L. AXEN.

testimony whereof I hereunto snb- 

